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91 Nev. 312

Babcock v. State

Nevada Supreme Court

Decided May 21, 1975

Nevada Supreme Court · decided 1975-05-21

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently June 2002

4 state decisions

Applies NV 205 § 205.265 · NV 205 § 205.300

Relies on Commonwealth v. Bovaird

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1975-05-21

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¶1*313OPINION

Per Curiam:

¶2Richard Babcock was found guilty of embezzlement. The charge arose from his conduct as a supervisor in the Bingo Parlor in the Sparks Nugget.

¶3On June 5, 1973, during the nighttime after the Bingo Parlor was closed and locked, Babcock obtained a key to the Bingo Parlor from the cashier’s department, entered and forced open a drawer containing the tip money totaling $842.00 and proceeded to lose the money at gambling.

¶4The record on appeal establishes that the supervisors, such as Babcock, were responsible for the collecting, holding and distribution twice each month of the gratuities taken, which were kept in the drawer from which Babcock removed the money. None of the employees had given Babcock his permission to take all of the money for himself. He contends on appeal, however, that he cannot be held for embezzlement because he was joint owner of the money and a person cannot steal from himself.

¶5His argument is known only in early legal history. At one time the common-law rule was that a person could not commit an embezzlement of property that he co-owned. The old principle has been modified either by statute or by interpretation. Commonwealth v. Bovaird, 95 A.2d 173 (Pa. 1953). It shall be no defense to a prosecution for embezzlement that the property appropriated was partly the property of the accused and the property of another. The accused is still guilty of taking for his own use monies that belong to someone else. His portion is disregarded for this determination.

¶6While Nevada has not included the foregoing recognition in the statutes pertaining to embezzlement (NRS 205.300), we do analogize to NRS 205.265 wherein part ownership is no defense to larceny.

¶7Other discussions advanced by appellant are without merit.

¶8Affirmed.

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